Gone are the days of enjoying life's simple pleasures for
pleasure's sake. Twenty-first-century Americans are on a mission to
cram every second of their earthly existence with significant
accomplishments and momentous events. Even the most mundane
undertaking must be approached with zeal, gusto, and expertise, or
so the media persuade us to believe.
Are we capable of doing anything casually anymore?
In this first book-length treatment of media's obsession with
triviality, cultural critic Ronald Bishop calls into focus the role
of media in the demise of scale--the amount of effort, intensity,
and significance with which we live--in contemporary culture.
Bishop argues that American audiences are assaulted with messages
that the ordinary, and often private, aspects of our lives--family,
childhood, parenting, education, food, sports, home
improvement--must be showcased publicly and with extreme
passion.
Playfully mixing personal narratives with an abundance of
examples from television shows, news stories, editorials,
advertisements, books, and movies, Bishop demonstrates how media
promote the idea that the notion of scale must be abandoned to
achieve success and happiness in modern society.
Written with originality, intellectual acumen, and wit, More is
a must-read for anyone obsessed with being obsessed and for others
interested in media's contribution to society's out-of-scale
behavior.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!